Writing titles is one of the trickiest aspects of correspondence. Should you mention them before the name, after it, or not at all? And where do the periods and spaces go? Study how to use titles correctly and you’ll never be confused again. Plus, you’ll make a great impression in any correspondence!
Academic titles and their abbreviations
Before we look at the correct order, let’s review individual title abbreviations. There are several pitfalls here as well especially regarding periods, spaces, and capital letters.
- Bc., BcA., Ing., Mgr., MgA. – These are university degrees known as Bachelor and Master-level titles. They are awarded to graduates of bachelor’s and master’s university programs. Bachelor’s studies (Bc.) are usually followed by a master’s degree (Ing. or Mgr.). It is therefore not necessary to state both titles, only the higher one (Ing. or Mgr.).
- DiS. – A non-academic title, Specialist Diploma, awarded after successful completion of a higher professional school. It is often compared to a bachelor’s degree (Bc.). Unlike bachelor’s studies at public (often tuition-free) universities, higher professional schools are usually fee-based and more practically oriented.
- MBA, MHA, MSc., LL.M., MPA, DBA, etc. – These are non-academic, professional titles awarded by institutions after completing professional programs. The most common are MBA (Master of Business Administration), LL.M. (Master of Laws), and DBA (Doctor of Business Administration). Titles such as MHA (Master of Healthcare Administration) and MSc. (Master of Science) are also gaining popularity and are often more specialized than MBA programs. Studies at these institutions fall under lifelong career education and are especially sought after by managers and executives.
- PhDr., JUDr., RNDr., PharmDr., ThDr., ThLic. – Titles awarded after passing a rigorous examination, which may only be taken by graduates of a master’s program. They are informally referred to as a “small doctorate.”
- MUDr., MDDr., MVDr. – Titles awarded after completing medical studies, where the rigorous examination is a standard state examination concluding the master’s program.
- Ph.D. – The highest academic degree obtainable through study. It designates the holder of a doctorate, i.e., a graduate of a doctoral program at a university. Informally referred to as a “large doctorate.”
- CSc. and DrSc. – Formerly widely used titles that have now been replaced by the universal Ph.D. The titles Candidate of Sciences (CSc.) and Doctor of Sciences (DrSc.) are no longer awarded today, but can still be encountered among individuals who received them in the past.
- doc. and prof. – Academic ranks of university lecturers (associate professor and professor), which, unlike academic titles, are written with a lowercase initial letter.
Which titles are written after the name?
Non-academic titles such as DiS., MBA, MHA, MSc., LL.M., and similar are most often written after the name. Among academic degrees, the highest one Ph.D. and its older forms CSc. and DrSc. is written after the name.
Which titles are written before the name?
Titles such as Bc., BcA., Ing., Mgr., MUDr., JUDr., PhDr., and other titles awarded after a rigorous examination are written before the name. The academic ranks doc. and prof. are also written before the name.
Multiple titles, one name
If a person has obtained multiple titles, they are written in the order in which they were earned. However, this does not apply to titles that are a “higher extension” of previous studies. For example: after completing a master’s degree in law, one obtains the title Mgr. If one continues legal studies and passes the rigorous examination, one receives the title JUDr., which replaces the previous Mgr.
Titles written before the name are not separated by commas. In contrast, titles written after the name must always be separated by a comma. If someone holds multiple identical titles (for example, from different fields or institutions), the Latin conjunction “et” is placed between them.
Practical examples of writing titles before and after the name
RNDr. Petr Novák, CSc.
Ing. Petra Prokopová, LL.M.
Ing. Mgr. Jan Novák
JUDr. Ing. Eva Doležalová, Ph.D.
Bc. Pavel NovotnĂ˝, MBA
doc. PhDr. Aneta Dostálová, Ph.D., MBA
Ing. et Ing. Tomáš Novák
Professional titles are increasingly valued
The aforementioned professional titles, especially the MBA, are becoming increasingly popular. And for good reason completing such a program can significantly advance one’s career and lead to higher earnings. However, pay attention to the institution awarding the MBA (or other professional titles). Only degrees from reputable accredited institutions such as the CEMI institute carry real weight. At CEMI, earning an MBA degree is conditioned upon meeting numerous academic requirements (including the defense of a thesis before a committee), and the online MBA study consists of individual consultations and solving real-world problems with lecturers who are recognized experts in their fields.
If you are interested in the financial and other benefits of completing an MBA program, for example at the CEMI institute (the largest MBA school in the Czech Republic), take a look at the interesting data from a survey conducted directly among its graduates.
